Time After Time
by Anja2
Summary: Can true love ever find Snape again? She's left him twice, but is the third time she returns a charm? NEW CHAPTER 3 UP TONIGHT
1. chapter 1

**Authors notes: I don't own the characters, just the story**.

  
  


**Chapter One**

  
  


Madelaine sat at her desk, shallow, studious lines appearing on her forhead as she looked down at the information presented to her at the beginning of the week. Her dark blue work robes were wrinkled and carried the scent of her jasmine perfume, stale cigarettes and coffee. It was a late Saturday night, the sky was as black as ink because of storm clouds moving about, and rain fell stedily. She had worked herself dead on her feet. Madelaine sighed heavily and threw the documents down on her desk as she leaned back in the black leather chair. However stressed she may have appeared it was normal for her as the head of the Department of Dark Arts in the North American Magic Agency. As she pulled back her long, wavy, sun-streaked blonde hair into a high pony-tail she reached into a mini fridge beneath her desk and pulled out a small carton of orange juice and a mixed berry cereal bar. 

"Yeh, it's goin to be a long night." a deep, gruff voice said behind her. Startled, she turned quickly to face Hagrid, an old friend and periodic go-between the Ministry of Magic in the UK, NAMA and the French département de magie. Although his posture was generally slumped over, he still stood at an amazing height and donned a huge, heavy coat, made from various animal hides. She smiled at him, and a wave or relief crashed over her. It had been at least 6 months since she had last seen her half-giant friend, when he dropped off some incantations that needed to be translated to the Division of Magical Language and Linguistics, which the NAMA had the only facility in the world of. 

"Hullo Hagrid." Madelaine smiled again and turned in her chair back to her desk. 

"What are yeh workin' on, if yeh don' mind my askin'"

"The files for the imprisonment of Lucius and Draco Malfoy to Azkaban." She gave up the answer to him most freely because he had been there. They both had. Madelaine had watched Lucius receive the kiss and been there to hear Draco scream for pity when she visited him a fortnight after his incarceration. Now, however, she was reduced to filing and periodicly reviewing the few and far between cases of misuses and dark magic among the United States and Canada, and offered her help to the Ministry since she was a former resident of the UK, had studied there and had fought in the war against Voldemort. 

"After all these years yeh're still lookin back on tha'? You'll make yehrself sick Maddie." 

"You're always looking out for me Hagrid." She laughed. "So what are you doing here?" She asked as she put the papers back into her drawers and began to tidy up her desk. 

"Yeh know, same old things. Yeh know who needs help with a potion." he chucked into his beard, hisdark eyes shining.

"Ergh! It never ends!" Madelaine laughed. "Tell me again what it is he does for a living?" She shook her head and continued, "I was going to go get a sandwich at the Splintered Wand. Care to join me and I can look over what he needs?"

"Sure. Supper with an old friend and a good poke at prefessor Snape sounds fine to meh."

Madelaine and Hagrid readied themselves to go outside into the blustery New York street which was drenched with rain and smelt of the less than desirable nightlife. The full moon reflected off of everything, the shimmering streets and tall cold buildings, and the flickering of street lights down by the Splintered Wand, which was located in possibly the seediest place in the city, acted like strobe lights. Madelaine quickly opened the door and grabbed a table by a large, roaring fireplace. Hagrid closed the door and joined her at the large oak table. A small house elf quickly appeared with several trays of food, placed them on the table and left as fast as he or she or it came. 

"So, let's see what he needs." Madelaine said as she grabbed a large piece of fried chicken breast. Hagrid pushed a folded up piece of parchment her way and once relieved of his burden began filling his plate to half past full. Madelaine unfolded the worn out piece of paper and had to squint to read Snape's fine handwriting in the faded ink which disappeared in the creases and folds.   
"How old is this Hagrid?" She could feel her throat tighten as she read it, and she felt her question had come out to stifled to be heard above the cackeling fire and the loud, boisterous people in the pub around her. However she was wrong and Hagrid immediately looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders. 

"I uh oh." He attempted to answer from the other end of a stein of ale. She looked back down at the ink which was faded, but still shimmered in the various colors it had been bought to show off. Madelaine looked up at Hagrid again, beer dripping from his beard, and pieces of poultry getting lost in it as well. The warm lights of the fire danced on everyone's faces, as her attention turned from Hagrid to the company that the old inn and tavern kept. Witches of the night and traveling rogues and magical beings of all sorts. The Splintered Wand was like a place out of a fantasy novel, or some role playing game where the troupe meets up after slaying dragons and rescuing damsels. Madelaine looked out onto the crowd again, her eyes following the shadows along the walls and she began to feel sick inside her stomach. 

"Hagrid, this isn't a request for my assisstance with any of his potions." She croaked out, and the worry in her voice became even more apparent. Hagrid still didn't seem to notice it and was busy slurping warm, thick potato soup. He looked up at her, and wiped the soup from around his mouth with a large, knarly hand. 

"Well wha is it then? If it isn't tha'?" He asked her, his beady black eyes shining from under thick catepillar-like eyebrows.

"It's a request for me."

  
  


  
  


  
  


**I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship between you and I dear reader. Please respond since this is my first story and I like the motivation.**


	2. chapter 2

**Authors notes: I don't own the characters, just the story**. 

  
  


**Chapter Two**

  
  


The rain had yet to stop in 3 days and the sky was as dark as night of the horizon, so no sun was night. Just as the light had been sucked out of life so had the warmth, and many of the blooming flowers and trees were beginning to go back into their wintertime slumber. The golden shimmer of the Quidditch hoops that could be seen from the south windows of Hogwarts Castle had been absent for far to long and the quidditch players from all houses brooded together in the Great Hall, putting aside rivalries for half-witted humor and quasi-amusement until the pitch dried up. Most of the Teaching Staff had been unaffected by the weather, while some used it to their advantage. Professor Minerva McGonogall had all her classes turning rubber hoses into umbrellas and raincoats. Hagrid and Professor Sprout had been given time off since all their classes were temporarily suspended due to weather. 

The most constant thing that remained in the castle was the ever disconsolate Severus Snape, Potions Master. He was constantly on edge and if one so much as breathed the wrong way in his class, it was instant detention and 50 points from one's house. He had stopped eating in the Great Hall a few years before and only ventured into it for chaperoning duties and during Owl Post delivery during breakfast, a great mystery to the students since he never received mail, not even a Daily Prophet. On this day, like all the days before it, Professor Snape arrived to the Great Hall by way of a small door behind his chair. The always unenthused Professor took his seat quietly, if a bit late, and waited for owls to begin swooping in. 

Across from the large, black lake of Hogwarts, Madelaine sat on a small faded red bench with her bag over her head to prevent the pelting rain from getting in her ears or on her head and thus avoiding being ill. The showers however, had different plans and soaked through her bag and the point of leaving it over her head was gone, and so she sat, waiting for her escort to return with something other than walking as an option for transportation. When Hagrid finally returned to her, she was wet through and needed to go somewhere warm. 

"I couldn' find anything Maddie. Is walking alrigh' with yeh?" He asked, handing her his umbrella. 

"Yes, It is fine with me. Anything so I can get changed into something dry." She replied and took the umbrella and opened it. The pair began to walk toward the castle, unnoticed in the torrents of rain the were coming down faster and harder by the minute. The dark blues and greens of the Forbidden Forest were hidden through the rain and the castle could barely be seen. Howling winds rushed past them, nearly knocking Madelaine down twice. She was soaked through to the bone and wanted to retreat to the warmth of the castle. This thought helped her stay warm inside. By the time they had reached the castle, both of Madelaine's shoes had been discarded in the thick, sticky mud and her clothes stuck to her like plastic wrap on yesterdays dinner. Her face was roseate with anticipation and exertion and she was having trouble hiding the mixed look of sheer elation and despair at being back at Hogwarts. As she took a deep breath, her chest heaved and she pushed open the door to the main corridor in the Castle. 

"Thank you Hagrid. I'll see you later." She turned and smiled to Hagrid.

"Of course yeh will. But for now, I'm off to the Great Hall for a bit of food and to deliver this to Professor Snape." He nodded to her as she continued down the lengthy passage to the dungeons and Hagrid went onto the Great Hall. The plush carpet on the long corridors felt divine under her tired and cold feet and by the time she had reached Severus's quarters she didn't notice the cold anymore, and had dried off significantly. Madelaine gazed up at the large stone gargoyle guarding the arched door to Severus's rooms. She had been here one last time a month before she had left for America. He had changed the password, but she had obtained it from Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, so she could claim a few more of her forgotten personal things. 

"If I know you, it hasn't changed." she whispered to herself and out loud clearly demanded, "_Amor avium"_. The Gargoyle guard moved to the right to allow her passage down a rather small and dank way to the grand oak door that took her to his rooms. It took her eyes a while to get used to the crepuscular chambers. She smiled to herself in personal satisfaction as she moved into the sitting room, a dark, foreboding room decorated with heavy tapestry and near-ebony wood and lit a fire with a quick 'incendio' and moved to his closet to find something much warmer to wear. Through the yards and yards of varying textures and weights of black upon black fabric, she found a pair of jeans and a dark blue sweater, the was slightly to long in the sleeves, and a bit to tight in the chest. Just like she had bought it. Her wet clothing were disposed of in a small wicker basket in the pristine white bathroom that he kept immaculate. A newly freshened up Madelaine curled up in the armchair by the fire and began to look at an old leather bound book she saw sitting on the small, cherry-wood table between the chairs. She had no interest in _Drawing Parallels Between Ancient Arithmancy and Modern Alchemy _so she laid it to rest, conjured herself a drink and waited. 

* * *

Hagrid walked into the Great Hall with a smile that was nearly hidden beneath his full beard. He gave a slight nod to Sir Nicholas as he passed the Gryffindor table, decked with Scarlet and Gold banners and ignored the sneer and nasty glances coming from the Slytherins against the left wall. The enchanted ceiling was dark and dreary, and the candles that lit the Great Hall had to be increased in numbers and light to adapt to the dark days that were sure to lay ahead, weather-wise. In the head of the room, in the center of the professors' table sat Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was a gray old man with a lively and knowing twinkle in his deep, kind blue eyes, and he had the appearance of one's grandfather, which helped in running in school comprised of 11 to 17 year olds. Hagrid approached the Professors' table with a cocky swagger that was very against his character, and bent down at the waist to mumble something half-heard by Dumbledore and half-heard by the rest of the staff. Albus nodded carefully, after piecing together the missing pieces of the message. Hagrid nodded back to him and walked around to his chair at the end of the table next to Professor Sprout who immediately began telling him the benefits of adding various muggle herbs and spices to fertilizers or hippogriff foods. Dumbledore waited for Hagrid to take his seat before slowly standing to speak.

"I apologize but my supper with you has been cut short by certain circumstances. Enjoy the rest of your meal." He smiled to the rows of children who immediately went back to eating and discussing what circumstances could have possibly chased the headmaster away from dinner. Dumbledore pushed his chair back under the table and proceeded towards Severus Snape's chair. He lay an aged hand on Severus's shoulder. "I need to speak with you." Snape stood up stiffly, glaring around the room, picking out which children he was bound to be seeing at detention that night. Following Albus out of the Great Hall and into the main stairway, he began to wonder what the so-far silent Headmaster wanted to speak with him about. The pair proceeded down the lengthy corridor until reaching a stopping point of a large stone phoenix. Albus' office. '_Happy hippo treat' _being the password, the twosome climbed the steps and made their way into the small circular sitting room. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, let out a small squak, letting him know that he had just hatched. Severus took a seat across from the headmaster, sinking into an opulent azure chair. 

"Your silence amazes me Albus. Please enlighten me as to why I am here." Severus began calmly, entwining his fingers into one another and resting them in the lap, as if he was anxiously awaiting something. 

"Would like some tea Severus?" He stalled slightly, but mostly he offered out of manners. 

"No thank you. I'm fine." Severus replied thickly. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife and served up with a thanksgiving ham, but both men seemed to stay distant, as if each was expecting the other to find out on their own what was going to happen or what was going on. Albus sighed and fought mentally with himself briefly on how to break the news that had been delivered to him just moments earlier by Hagrid.

"Severus, Hagrid informed me earlier of a former student of Hogwarts having recently arrived back at the castle." He started slowly, timing himself by tunes in his head to keep from speaking fast or letting out to much information at once. 

"And? Are they looking for some type of an apprenticeship with me because you know how I feel about things like that. I have enough trouble dealing with people like Longbottom and educating the other students in my classes, the capable ones without watching Longbottom and any apprentice."

"No, no it has nothing to do with that, although she did have quite a mind about potions from what I remember." Albus laughed to himself as he remembered the kind of trouble Madelaine had gotten herself into without the help of her friends or a certain heart-sick potions master. 

"Who is this keen potions student then? Refresh my memory because so far I am at a loss as to who this person is or what they want." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose, either preventing a headache or willing one to come so he could excuse himself. 

"Oh Severus, she came back at your request, Wouldn't you know that?" Albus asked in a truly wondering tone. Severus looked up at him from the chair, his obsidian eyes burning into the Dumbledore's, looking for some sign of jest or misunderstanding, but found none. 

"Where is she?" He attempted to ask, but his voice caught in his throat at the anticipation of seeing her again. Severus didn't know what to make of it, thoughts flew through his mind at an unhealthy pace and he couldn't grasp a hold of one long enough to make any sense of it or elaborate on it. 

"I don't know. Maybe you should have a drink and go to bed. Worry about it in the morning, She's no doubt in one of the house's extra rooms or in a guest bed somewhere. Maybe even with Poppy, but we don't know, so don't worry yourself over it. Save that for tomorrow otherwise you could make yourself sick."

Severus nodded thoughtfully and slow before he stood even stiffer before, ready to go down to his rooms. He left the Headmaster with a stern, pensive look on his face and made his way down to the dungeons before collapsing in the corridor. 

* * *

Curled up in on a small lounge, Madelaine had given up waiting, and fallen asleep long ago. Although she had been hungry, her mental and physical exhaustion had finally caught up with her and she lay in a tight ball with a thick white blanket draped loosely around her. The fire was no more than a warm crackle and hiss every so often and the once distinct shadows dancing on the walls were not of physical beings manifest in the room, but of memories fliting across rooms and time and emotions. Severus made his way into his rooms, surviving his mild anxiety and heaviness of heart for her, to see the light amber light of a dying fire before his eyes and wound up like a napping cat, Madelaine. His jaw locked and he cocked his head to the right, letting a strand of black hair fall across his face in a sort of curious manner. He approached her, hands out, not sure of whether to scoop her into his arms or strangle her to death and leave her in the Forbidden Forest for the food of the vicious scavengers that roamed among the thick trees. He could feel beads of sweat pour down his face as he backed into a chair and stared at her, and in the last flickers of bisque light against her face Severus realized, much to his dismay, that he hadn't been sweating because of murderous thoughts, or because of anxiety. He was crying. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  



	3. chapter 3

**Authors notes: I don't own the characters, just the story**. 

  
  


**Chapter Three**

  
  


**8 years earlier**

*****************************************************************

Through the light gray clouds in the sky, streams of light peered through, trying to make the late June day brighter. Sun rays trickled onto Madelaine O'More's bed in the Ravenclaw girl's dormitories. She ran her hands through her mess of short strawberry curls, unstyled and still wet, as she thought of what to wear for her journey from Hogwarts. Picking out a pair of jeans and a purple crop top, she sat them aside and proceeded to stuff her black bookbag full of clothes, magazines, and tapes. Earlier in the week she had sent her trunk to Valencia, where she would be staying with a small wizarding family for the next year or so. Madelaine could almost feel the warm rays of the sun and hear the ocean waves crashing onto the beach when a soft knocking at the door threw her back into reality. She turned and stared at the large oak door wishing the person behind it away. She stared until her eyes became dry and everything around the door had melted away and she couldn't blink or turn away from the door. Then they knocked again and pushed open the door a slight way. 

"Maddie?" 

She didn't respond at first, she couldn't move or speak. Her feet felt as if they were glued to the spot she was standing in and would never be released. Her heart fluttered with anticipation of the known visitor, and her stomach lurched because she knew what he was here to do. 

"Madelaine!"

Madelaine refused to answer him again but the door opened wider and a tall imposing figure stood in the doorway, blocking any hope of escape.

"Why didn't you answer me?" 

"I was busy, packing and all. I wasn't paying any mind." She answered him, hanging her head. She looked up to see him nodding slowly and beginning to cross the room. His deep black eyes bored into her as he stiffly sat down on a green chair, which faced a small window, open and facing the Quidditch pitch. "What are you doing here Professor?" She asked quietly, a manner against her nature. 

"I didn't realize we were on such formal terms _Miss _O'More." he hissed, emphasizing her title. "I just came down to see how your packing was doing." He tried to making up for his condescending tone from a moment before but failed miserably.

"As well as it could be going. I leave this evening and I'm afraid I won't be able to thank the rest of the staff here in time. Would you..."

"Of course I would. If you're definitely sure this is what you want." 

"I have told you a thousand times this is what I want! You're turning into an insufferable old man and I'm tired of it." Madelaine clasped her hand to her mouth when she realized she had just admitted everything she had been thinking and was trying to avoid saying. She could feel the glare she was getting at her turned back, but just kept quiet. Silence followed for a minute. A dreadfully long minute which felt like hours to her and years to Severus Snape, who only wished that he hadn't come here asking questions when he had a specific purpose that had no point in being addressed now. 

"I'm an old man to you." He whispered hoarsely. She knew she had struck a nerve with him. In the beginning of their short but strong relationship he had closed her out, and kept walled up because he felt he was much to old for her. After some time elapsed Madelaine had been able to pick through his shell and see that he was mostly afraid of being hurt by someone so young. That someone far younger than he, far more attractive might catch her fancy and take her away from him. However as days went by he realized that she wasn't the type of person who would just up and leave him for someone else and he let his guard down. Severus had been more affectionate and more careful with her than he had anyone else in his entire life. As if he was afraid that one wrong move might brake her, or she would disappear from his arms forever and he would never get her back. 

"You're acting like one. Being possessive and trying to put your foot down in matters that have nothing to do with you." 

"Nothing to do with me!" Severus stood and wheeled around, staring her straight into the eyes. "I think that your moving away has a little something, if not everything to do with me."

"Oh Severus, did you just feel that? The earth shifted, you're not the center of the universe anymore." Madelaine cocked her head and offered a blatantly cruel grin. 

"Dammit Madelaine! Would you at least consider staying here. You could apprentice with one of the Professors, or help in the library." His tone became increasingly soft as he spoke to her. He approached her from behind and held her shoulders gently. 

"You would have me in a position that I would not be happy in and that is far below my capabilities just so you could have me whenever you wanted? So I could be there?" She whispered out loud.

"Or I would just have you. Won't you please reconsider my offer?" 

"No. I will not." She replied coldly and watched in the mirror as he seemingly shivered, closed his eyes and tightened his grip on her shoulders, not out of cruelty, but out of pain. He released and stepped back. 

"Then I take the liberty to give you my best wishes for your time in Spain." He stated simply and made his way toward the door he hesitated at a table before he continued. "I hope that you will return to us one day Miss O'More." He finished as he calmly sat something down on the table, then opened the door and left swiftly. Madelaine watched the door sniffing and breathing hard. A great weight had just been lifted from her shoulders, but a new one had taken no time to replace the former. As she inhaled she was quick to exhale in ragged, uneven breaths. She was sobbing. Madelaine fell to the floor, clutching her bed, as if holding on for dear life. She didn't know what she was going to be able to do and for the first time in months felt utterly alone in the world. 

It took a great amount of strength to leave Hogwarts that evening but Madelaine accomplished it. She left quietly, to avoid any confrontation, good or bad, with any of the staff. The moon was pale and clouds were beginning to form. By the time she had reached Hogsmede station, a warm summer rain was beginning to fall. As the 10 o'clock train pulled in Madelaine took one last look at Hogwarts, thankful it had began to rain. When she first came it was raining, and now, as she left it did the same, but this time, it masked her tears.

* * *

Severus sat in her rooms long after she and the train had departed for London, where she was likely to pick up the Knight Bus to Spain. He closed his eyes and opened them slowly, as if trying to make time go slower, making his memories last a moment longer. He sat, and sat, letting the hours fly by, wondering about how he could have gotten himself tangled up with such a cruel woman. Someone who didn't love him, but made him believe she did. By the purple and pink rays of dawn he had managed to nearly brainwash himself into hating her. A house elf popped into the room, bringing with him a light breakfast, setting it on a small table by the door of the room. Severus looked over to the tray and immediately rose. He had placed a small box there that last day. Now there was a small book, full of pictures both magical and muggle. '"It is sometimes best to have memories frozen still in time Severus, so you can know in your heart how you felt at the moment, and your eyes will never deceive you."' He thought to himself. Madelaine had said that to him once, after taking their picture with a regular camera. As he flipped through the small book his heart melted, he could feel it. Warmth spreading throughout his body, down to his fingertips and resonating in his brain. He closed his eyes again, trying to grasp a hold of some distant thought, standing in the middle of her room, alone, he felt whole. He opened his eyes again, and slipped the book into his robes, grabbed a piece of fruit and left the room and locked it. He turned on his heels and left the Ravenclaw end of the dungeons and continued up the stairs to a far off hall, where a very tiny door stood, a door much to small of a child, let alone a 32 year old man. As he opened the door and walked in, anyone who had seen him must have believed either he shrunk or the door grew. Contrary to popular belief his rooms were not in the dungeons, but rather in the oldest part of the building, a wonderfully mysterious and magical corridor full of surprises. As he made his way into his large and opulently decorated sitting room he was briefly startled by the figure of Albus Dumbledore sitting in front of his lit fireplace.

"Albus, it's almost July. Why do you have that thing lit?"

"Oh. Well, I do believe that a roaring fire really calms the nerves, sends one right off into a good dream filled sleep when he needs it. Perhaps you are right. Would you care for some tea?" He offered. Severus shook his head and took a seat across from the Headmaster. "I always bring my own you know, whatever it is you drink is much to strong for me. Anyway. I wanted to en quire after Miss O'More. She left in a hurry last night, and didn't tell more than half of the staff good bye. It was very unlike her to do such a thing." He stated, but not in a concerned manner, more of an informing manner. 

"She wanted to leave here quickly I imagine. She had her reasons." Severus offered, twiddling his fingers, nervously. Albus noted this as something that Snape would never do. Something was going on. 

"Severus, you know if you need to speak to anyone about this you can come and talk to me. I am here for you whenever you need to see someone."

"I know that Albus. I thank you for offering but I just feel that I need to be alone for now. A chance to wind down before the next school year starts again. Just sometime to be alone."

"Ah yes, of course. Severus, your mother has sent an owl to me. She knows that sending them to you just gets them disregarded. She wants to see you this summer sometime. I think it is best you leave as quickly as possible. You haven't seen here in so long, and she is always requesting to see you." Albus finished as he stood up and sat his tea cup down on the long table between the two deep red chairs. 

"Yes. I suppose so." He nodded and Albus left the room quietly.

Severus didn't go home that summer. In fact he rarely left his rooms until September, and then it was only for classes and meals, rarely between for roaming the halls to find rule breakers. His mother died in August and it went barely noticed by him. In a few months he had lost a lot of weight and became even more sallow and sickly looking than before. By September his moods had become even more of a coin toss, one moment he was tolerable then the next moment he was completely shut off, cold and rude to anything that had the misfortune of crossing his path. 

Upon returning to Hogwarts, at their first breakfast Dean was the first to notice it.

"He doesn't look right." He shook his head.

"He never looks right. Just be careful not to cross him. Or will be owing points by the time the house cup award rolls around." Hermione lectured.

No one could place his foul mood over the year and Slytherins as well as Gryffindors were beginning to suffer his wrath. Albus was becoming increasingly worried about Severus's health. Most of his food remained untouched, and though he said he was fine, and that he was over anything that had happened with he and Madelaine, Dumbledore knew differently. And his hypothesis was confirmed true in May of 1993. When a small brown owl flew in during lunch delivering a small folded piece of parchment to Severus. It was immediately opened and he left, nearly running to his rooms and knocking over a 1st year Hufflepuff in the process. 

As he climbed his way through Hogwarts he felt himself grow lighter, as if walking on clouds with the assistance of angels. By the time he was able to sit down on the edge of his bed he was sure that he was glowing, and that some student had probably seen him and reported it to his entire house, but he didn't care. 

  
  


_Dear Severus,_

_I have spent almost everyday here sitting by the ocean writing in my little leather book that you gave me for my 18th birthday. Each time I write in this book, or even look at it I remember the look on your face the day that I left and I haven't been able to be rid of this horrible image of you burned into my mind. _

_My Mother and Father have recently joined me here and have noticed the sense of loss in my eyes. I don't know what to do and I can't help but feel lost every time I look into the mirror. I feel that I have made a terrible mistake and I hope that you will one day forgive me. Until then I hope that maybe one day, while sitting at breakfast while Áine is reading her book and Caoilte his newspaper, that my little owl will return with a parchment in his hand, with a simple message of forgiveness. Until then I want to extend to you an invitation here. You are always welcome and I hope to see you soon. _

_Yours truly,_

_Kennocha Madelaine O'More_

  
  


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**Authors notes: **

**I hope that was ok for you guys. I'd really appreciate more feedback :) or maybe you could tell some of your friends to read my story too :)**

**In case you can't tell Madelaine is Irish. When I first started laying the ground work for this story she was half Swedish and half English, but as I developed her character on paper, it was hard to give her a real past. So I went back and re-wrote her parents   
(Áine (an-ya) and Caoilte (KWEEL-te)) to be Irish from the O'More's. Simply because this is much easier since I am also a (American) Moore. Using my own history made it a lot easier to build up a background for her. Also if some of my math is wrong I do apologize. I used a time line from the internet, from what I think is a respectable source, but when I did some of the math for her character it added up a little bit weird. I guess that's what you get for putting new people into an already established world. *shrug* **

**Slainte!**

  
  



	4. chapter 4

**Authors Notes:**

**Not my characters, just my version of the story. :) please don't sue. I want to thank the people who have left their reviews because it means a lot to me. I have spent the last couple of days reading "Muggle" by Andolyn and I recommend it, strongly. **

**Claribel: I am trying my hardest to avoid OC flaws by using the stories you recommended in conjunction with certain movie characters and some of the personality traits of my friends and family. Madelaine is a hodge podge. **

**Also: as of the end of chapter 3 there were two ways I could go with the story, either back to their time which would involve a lot of unnecessary flashbacks and such, or to remain 8 years back and work my way up, and that's what I've decided to do. So picture it: July 1992, Valencia, Spain.....**

  
  


**Chapter Four**

  
  


Madelaine sat out on her balcony, looking over her daily issue of La Magia Cronometra. The sunny weather obviously agreed with her by lighter red hair and a bronze tint in her skin. The low rumble of the ocean, a stones throw from where she sat, had awoken her and beckoned her for a visit. Mensageiro, her owl had delivered to her her paper and flown off as if in search of something. The sky began fading from purples and reds to light pinks and finally a clear, sky blue that was empty save for the bright morning sun for miles in any given direction. The strong smell of salt lingered in the fast heated air and Madelaine retreated inside to the cool tile floors and small upright fan she had bought for her little flat in a Muggle area of town. Her long white skirt clung to her legs as she moved in front of the fan over to her small kitchen bar, where a note on parchment had been left from her mother, addressing that she and Madelaine's father had gone out early to retrieve a few things for breakfast and would be back ASAP. Her leather flip-flops made a soft "pitter-patter" noise as she opened her fridge and pulled out the bottle of milk for her cereal that she hadn't poured yet. Madelaine sighed, still somewhat tired, and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back into what could be a ponytail if it wasn't so short. Tendrils of hair fell down by her face and she let go of her hair, swinging her arms down by her sides. Poca-una, her small white cat, sauntered through the living room and down the two steps into the cool, breezy kitchen and proceeded to rub against Madelaine's bare legs. The entire flat screamed "Verano" with it's white-washed walls and dark red floors, light wood and wicker furnishings and white everywhere. It was easy on the eyes and light on the heart, which was something that Madelaine felt she needed at that time. She had never felt worse in all of her life than she had the day she left Hogwarts. The day she had insulted Severus Snape, a man that she had truly loved but now she was sure that he hated her with more of a passion than he had shown her in the few months they were together. As she thought of him her left hand flew to her neck to finger a small golden chain as she began to pour the milk. The door opened and her mother, speaking in broken Spanish with an Irish accent and pronunciation and laden with bags from the usual morning market shopping stopped dead in her tracks and shrieked. Madelaine forced herself back to reality and realized the reason for her Mother's outburst. She still hadn't retrieved her breakfast cereal and had poured milk all over the counter and floor, much to the delight of Poca-una. 

"¿Qué Haces? ¡Eso es todo nuestra leche!" Áine, Madelaine's mother, shouted at her. Áine had resigned herself to speaking completely in Spanish, so she could practice her speech all day. Her husband, Caolite, however spoke in English to his wife and just nodded absently to her replies since he spoke no Spanish and had no desire to, since his daughter was fluent and his wife was quickly gaining that status. 

"Oh Mother, then I will go out this afternoon and buy more milk! It isn't a crisis. Calm down." Madelaine spoke heavily as she mopped up the milk. She had no desire to sit and listen all day to her Mother speak in simple Spanish, trying to express herself in complicated manner and failing miserably. Madelaine was tired of everything as of late and secretly wished to herself that she hadn't invited her parents to live with her. She wanted to be alone and sit and think but then, when she thought about it she realized that if she was alone she would have wasted away, never leaving the flat, only sitting in and thinking of _her_ Severus.

"¡Vaya!" Her mother yelled again, taking the mop from her hand. Madelaine rolled her eyes and grabbed her light gray hoodie. She slipped into it and left the flat. She began down the narrow staircase into a blooming courtyard, filled with flowers of all colors and scents.

"Hola Señorita Madelaine. Tenemos tiempo muy bien eh?" David, a young American student living in Spain, a floor below Madelaine greeted her on his way upstairs. He smiled a wide smile with straight white teeth and a few strands of dark hair in front of his eyes. 

"Beautiful weather David." Madelaine smiled and zipped up her jacket. The weather was good, but a nippy morning breeze, fresh off of the ocean cooled the surrounding area down considerably. She turned and closed the iron gate, and continued down the narrow road towards a pedestrian center in town. There was a daily market, and Madelaine found this a much easier way to shop than for the week or month. A light wind rippled through her hair as she gently squeezed an orange from a rickety, graying cart and placed it into her bag after paying the old woman running the cart. The thick scent of foods being fried and baked, and fresh spices and herbs that were used on them filled the air and as the sun gently rose into the sky and the wisps of white clouds had left, Madelaine again felt how content she was there. She hadn't run away from Severus because she wasn't afraid of him, or them. She was worried about her future. She loved traveling, and if she had stayed behind with him she would be sitting around helping map out programs and curriculum for the coming school year and it was something she wanted nothing to do with. Madelaine found herself staring off into space when she noticed a shadow disappear into a narrow alleyway. She put her un-purchased produce back onto the cart and followed him quickly. The darkness of the alley way was a stark contrast to the warmth and light of the open marketplace and Madelaine shivered as a cool wind blew against her shoulders and legs. Her eyes traveled down to her feet so she could watch for raised stones and prevent herself from tripping. When she looked up again all she saw of the mysterious character was a ripple of long black robes. 

"Severus!" Madelaine shouted after him and picked up her pace. A million thoughts ran through her mind. 'Maybe he needed to see me. He missed me so much!'. She wanted so much to be back in his arms, but at the same time she was disgusted with herself for chasing after him. Everything about their last encounter was burning into the front of her mind. Everything about him was there too. His eyes, his expressions, that sneer or scowl that she could make melt away with just a half smile in his direction. As she rounded the corner she forgot to pick up her back leg again and fell into a soft darkness that smelled of soap and herbs. She looked up into a pair of dark eyes and fell into forever. His strong, soft hands helped her to her feet and hesitated at letting go of her. He smiled a broad smile and Madelaine quietly wondered to herself why she had never seen him look so beautiful before.

"Who's Severus?" David asked her, trying to tuck a strand of hair behind his ears but it was to short and returned to its position in front of his eyes. "Forget that, how did you follow me?" he furrowed his brow and looked her over.

"I...I...My name is Kennocha Madelaine O'Moore. I studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am a Ravenclaw, my...my best class was potions but I was sleeping with the professor." She blurted out to David as if under the influence of Vertiserum. He smiled at her again and laughed.

"Does that explain who Severus is?"

"I can't believe I just said that!" She clasped her hand over her mouth and stifled a worried laugh.

"Hey it's alright. I'm a Salem Institute alumni myself, but I'm from New York. You, Madelaine, live above me and from the few times we've spoken, I gather you're from Ireland."

"Born there yes, moved to Manchester when I was 8."

"Perhaps you want to continue this over lunch? I'm in town to pick up a few things." David shrugged and turned to show Madelaine the sweeping view behind him. Hundreds of small wizarding shops lined the sidewalks and street vendors selling magical things made it nearly impossible to get around. She gasped and her hand rose to her mouth once again. "Didn't you know this was here?" He asked in a half-laughing voice.

"No!" 

"Well now you do. Just this street alone is twice as big as the district in New York where you can buy most wizarding items. In fact, most American witches and wizards must owl-order any slightly uncommon items they may need. It's a pain, really. Very expensive for some people because most of the items come from either San Francisco or Salem, where the school is." He explained to her as they walked into Quidditch shop. 

"You like Quidditch?" She asked with a very noticeable trace of disappointment in her voice. 

"It's alright I guess. I'm here to buy a poster for my cousin. He's obsessed." 

"Really? Which team?" She asked with a newly renewed spirit and interest. David laughed again, in fact, he laughed a lot. 'it must be nice to feel so carefree to laugh all the time.' she thought to herself.

"Chudley Cannons. I don't understand it though, they're so bad." 

"They are. You know, there was, or is a second year at Hogwarts who also likes the Chudley Cannons for some unexplainable reason. Used to talk about them all the time."

"Really? Was he somewhat short and very thin and red haired?" 

"Yeah, Ron Weasley."

"That's him alright" David laughed again and handed a short wizard 1 galleon for the poster and left quickly.

"Really?" Madelaine asked, amazed.

"Yes. His mother and my mother are sisters. Sort of. See, our grandparents wanted kids really badly, so just when they had given up and had adopted my mother, Molly Weasley was conceived. Cool eh?"

"So that's why you and Ron look nothing alike?" Madelaine said to him, immediately regretting it because it made her sound like a moron. 

"Basically. That and my dad was from here." David cocked his head to the side watching Madelaine as she continued to take in all that the small town had to offer. It seemed a perfect mingling of all things magic and muggle. From small cafés lining the streets and the open air-vending down to Apothecary of various sizes and specific shops for specific branches of magic. From Alchemy and Potions to Arithmancy to Astronomy. David made a few more stops into various bookshops and finally a small wand shop that smelled like cedar and dust, to purchase a velvet wand case.   
"Finally we're off to eat." He sighed and smiled at Madelaine. He was surprised to see her in the Open air market to begin with, let alone know she saw him and was able to follow him into this small corner of the wizarding world. But he loved it. He had only spoken to her once or twice before, but he never expected her to be so knowledgeable on so many different things. Nor had he noticed how beautiful she was before. He breathed in deeply again and could smell her the light scent of her body oil. David opened his eyes to look up at that clear blue sky and a hot sun that bore straight down on the pair, making tiny beads of sweat run down his face from the heat and nervousness that he felt from standing next to such a beautiful creature. 

"Is this it?" Madelaine asked, looking up at him and pointing to a small café, half in the alley between the muggle and wizard worlds, and the other half in the center of the square, which was half deserted because of siesta. However it was run by an English muggle who knew of the small place because his entire family was magical, and he kept his small establishment opened all day. 

("None of this mid-day nap squabble. I don't need to rest, I am perfectly fine running my business all day thank you.")

David hung the canvas pack he had been carrying with him across his chair and sat down after Madelaine had. With a small *pop* two glasses of water appeared on the table, along with silverware and napkins. Madelaine took a small sip from her water as she saw the owner, a tall, and equally round man called Smith, approach the table asking for their orders.

"I just want a chicken sandwich." Madelaine told him after David had ordered his lunch. (corned beef sandwich with saurkraut and chips on the side.**) After Smith left their sides David leaned in on his elbows.

"So, what about you? I've chatted your ear off all morning. Why are you here?" 

"I needed to get away." Madelaine shrugged and for the first time since she had mistaken David for Snape, had she thought about Severus. Her eyes fell down to the table and she could feel the heat build up in her face and tears well in her dark amber eyes. "I made a mistake in my 6th year at Hogwarts. A big one."

"What's that?" David asked her. Madelaine looked up and allowed her tears to fall quietly.

"I fell in love." She started and looked back down. "He was completely off limits to me, and an asshole at that. I was sure he hated me for being one of his most brilliant students, next to maybe this annoying little first year in Gryffindor house. But he knew the difference between us, she knew what she knew because of books and reading. I could do it because of ability and talent. He was the potions master for the school. One night I was cleaning out the cauldrons for my usual Saturday detention and I heard him talking to himself over some potion, I can't remember it now, but I shouted in at him what he needed. It was very quiet then for a split second I half expected a 'thank you'" She stopped for a moment and sighed, a small smile creeping up the sides of her mouth. "But he couldn't do that so he yelled at me to get back to work. That next Friday he called me in after class and thanked me. And I got carried away and I kissed him. He's 15 years older than me David! I was crazy! But I didn't care. He never stopped me either, so I guess it was his fault. Either he liked me or hadn't gotten any in so long, I didn't know then. I started purposely getting detentions, and spending more time with him." Madelaine stopped and smiled at Smith, who had brought out their lunches. David paid for them and a little extra for dessert. 

"Wow. That's...wow. Continue if you want."

"I don't know." Madelaine shrugged. You probably hate this."

"No, I like hearing about it. I mean... well, it's like a soap opera, I'll give you that, but I think it's an interesting story." Madelaine laughed at him. Really laughed, like tingles in your toes kind of laugh. David smiled as she continued.

"Well, then summer came. I was 17 and my parents decided to leave me in the house that summer so they could go on some cruise for 2 months. Which of course I was OK with. I owled Severus and told him and a few days later he showed up on my doorstep. I didn't know what to do then, I mean, I had invited my Professor to come over and let's face it, only one thing was bound to happen and it wasn't sit around and discussing books. Afterward, I felt disgusting. He stayed the week and when he left I just wanted to scrub myself clean of it. Not him, just the idea. My 7th year I dropped all my potions classes and took study halls instead. I avoided him as much as I could, but during Christmas break, when I stayed in the castle, it couldn't be helped." Madelaine paused again, swallowing the last bit of her sandwich. David had been listening intently. She didn't care that he was mostly a stranger, she needed to get this off of her chest to someone, anyone who would listen.   
"Well, that Christmas, at the foot of my bed I found a small pile of gifts from my parents and friends and a small box wrapped in blue wrapping and tied with a silver ribbon. He never told me he loved me, but when I opened it I know he did. I went to see him at once, I didn't know what I was going to say, I just stormed in on him in his classrooms in the dungeons and I broke down and I cried. I told him what I thought of him and how he made me feel and I didn't know why. Then I threw his gift at him and gave him a nice shiner."

"Oh My God!" David started laughing over his vanilla ice cream. His eyes were squeezed tightly together and he began to get a headache from the mixture of laughter and cold. As they finished and rose, David wiped his face and eyes and grabbed his bag. "I'm sorry. It's just that I can totally imagine you throwing this box at your potions professor. I think it's rather funny." David smiled at her again. 

"Yeah, well, just be thankful you weren't on the other end of that ring box."

"I think I'd like to meet him."

"No you wouldn't. I'm sure he's gotten even worse now. Those poor 3rd year Double Potions students." Madelaine said with a smile of satisfaction. 

"True, I mean, considering what I hear from Percy"

"Percy Weasley?" 

"Yes."

"He's going with Penelope Clearwater. I had quite a fancy for him myself in my 5th year."

"Really?" David asked curiously.

"Yes, but he pays to much attention to the rules." Madelaine laughed. 

"And from what I know about you so far, you'd rather throw them to the wind."

"I'd be much happier if I could just do that." She laughed again and the pair strolled, single file down the dark alley way again and made their way to the iron gate at the front of their courtyard.

"Well this is my stop." David smiled. "I hope I get to talk to you again sometime."

"Hey, just holler, I can hear you remember." She smiled at him again and he kissed her on the cheek, making her blush. 

"I'll see you later then?" 

"Of course." She turned and began to walk up the steps into her flat. Her Father greeted her at the door. 

"Maddie where's the milk? Gone almost 6 hours and no milk?" 

"I'm sorry dad, I was sidetracked." She smiled at him and went straight to her room and closed and locked the door. She pulled a small, leather bound journal with her initials on it from her desk drawer and opened it, and began to write. A light breeze wafted into her room but this time it was warm, smelling of patchouli and ginger. A familiar and inviting smell, one that she felt, made her insides stir. 

'Severus' was on her lips, but as she moved to the window the warm breeze was gone. She sat by the window for most of the evening, watching other people who lived in the building come and go and she sat and thought of what she told David today. About Severus. And for the first time since she left she felt that longing to be with him again. Just to be in the same room, or same area. She needed him. 

  
  


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****oh yeah! Who knows what I'm talking about here! Woo-hoo Reubens! Sorry...sometimes I get a little carried away with food, but hey, he's American.**

**Please, please, please review! I really appreciate it.**

  
  



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